Cycling Does Not Cause Heart Attacks

Matthew Sparkes reported on TreeHugger before on how investments in cycling could save hundreds of millions in health costs. Others, however, are not so sure. A debate seems to be going on at the moment in the UK over whether cycling causes heart attacks. The tabloid Daily Mail newspaper reported that cycling is a major cause of heart attacks, while Matthew Sparkes (yup, the one and the same guy who reported here on health benefits) argues over at The Guardian that there is a fundamental difference between causes and triggers, and that cycling as a cause of heart attacks is nothing but a myth. Quoting Prof Tim Nowrot, one of the authors of the report that sparked the debate, Matthew argues that the Daily Mail's headline misrepresented the findings: "If you have two roads to work, then the road with less traffic is best to cycle on. But it should not prevent you from cycling."